Before you choose

A toy advent calendar has to be in the house before December starts, so it is often the first Christmas present a family sorts out. Six of these eight open 24 doors from 1 December: four LEGO calendars for City, Marvel, Star Wars and Disney Princess fans, a Hot Wheels calendar of die-cast cars and a Squishmallows calendar of tiny squeezable figures. Two Pokémon card sets follow, for an older child who would rather count down with booster packs. We read what is behind the doors, and the age each maker gives, on the makers' own pages.

What makes a good toy advent calendar

A good calendar gives a child something to do with each door, not just something to open. The LEGO calendars build a small scene a day, and by Christmas Eve the pieces join up into a play set. The Hot Wheels calendar hands out a car or an accessory each morning, and the Squishmallows calendar builds a collection one figure at a time.

It also helps when the box keeps working after the 24th. The Disney Princess calendar folds out into a board game with a spinner for up to eight players, and the Hot Wheels calendar comes with clips so that ten of its cars can hang on the tree.

Matching the calendar to the child

For a three or four-year-old, the Hot Wheels and Squishmallows calendars are the two marked 3+. Neither involves building, so a child can open the door and play straight away. From five, two LEGO calendars open up: Disney Princess, with microdolls and small builds, and City, set in Santa's workshop. The Star Wars and Marvel calendars are marked 6+ and suit a child who already builds LEGO sets without much help.

Start from what the child already loves, too. A Mandalorian fan will recognise the Razor Crest and Grogu straight away, and a Spider-Man fan gets Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider and four more heroes and villains. A child who collects Squishmallows will treasure the numbered collector's guide almost as much as the figures.

By nine or ten, plenty of children decide that a door a day is for little ones, while still wanting something to open each morning. That is where the two Pokémon sets come in. Both are marked 6+, and the packs inside can be handed out a few at a time across December. The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box holds nine booster packs, and the 30th Celebration Binder Collection holds five, with a nine-pocket binder to file the cards in.

A card countdown for an older collector

Pokémon's next expansion, Delta Reign, is out on 6 November 2026, a few weeks before the first door opens. Neither Pokémon set on this page is an advent calendar, and we would not pretend otherwise. Each is a box of booster packs that a parent can parcel out across the month, one pack at a time, tucked into a refillable calendar or simply left by the cereal bowl.

The 30th Celebration Binder Collection is the smaller of the two: a nine-pocket binder and five packs, so new cards have somewhere to go the moment they are opened. The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box carries nine packs, a full-art promo card, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 sleeves, six damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a player's guide and a collector's box with six dividers.

  • Delta Reign, the next Pokémon TCG expansion, is out on 6 November 2026.
  • Binder Collection: a nine-pocket binder and five booster packs, marked 6+.
  • Elite Trainer Box: nine booster packs, 65 sleeves, dice and a collector's box, marked 6+.
  • Cards, dice and the plastic coin are small, so keep them off the floor if a toddler shares the house.

Small pieces and younger brothers and sisters

Every calendar here is full of small pieces, because that is how 24 surprises fit in one box. Mattel warns that the Hot Wheels calendar is not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts, and the Squishmallows figures are only about an inch tall. If a baby or toddler shares the house, open the doors at a table and put the day's piece somewhere high once play is over.

UK government advice on buying toys is to treat the age marking as a safety instruction rather than a measure of difficulty. That matters more with a calendar than most gifts, because it often sits on a low shelf or a windowsill for the whole of December.

When to buy an advent calendar

The first door opens on 1 December, so the calendar needs to arrive by the end of November. Buying in October or early November leaves time to check it is the right one and that the box is not crushed, because a calendar that turns up late cannot simply wait for Christmas morning.

If the one you wanted is no longer available, choose another from a known maker rather than a lookalike from an unknown seller. The same government guidance warns that unusually cheap toy listings can be counterfeit.

Calendars that last past Christmas

The LEGO builds are designed to join other sets from the same theme, so the Razor Crest and the Helicarrier can move into the toy box with the rest of a child's LEGO. The Hot Wheels cars are the standard 1:64 size, so they join any collection a car fan already has.

The Squishmallows figures clip onto their ring and travel well, and the Disney Princess game board comes out again on a wet afternoon in January.

How these calendars were chosen

Every calendar here was read on its maker's own page: LEGO's Marvel, Star Wars and Disney Princess calendars, Mattel for Hot Wheels and Jazwares for Squishmallows on 10 October 2026, and the LEGO City calendar on 1 November 2026. Mattel's UK site does not list the Hot Wheels calendar, so its facts come from Mattel's German page. The two Pokémon sets were read on pokemon.com, the binder collection on 24 September 2026 and the Elite Trainer Box on 8 October 2026. The eight are listed from the youngest age marking up; that order is not a TopTenToys ranking.

Some calendars we looked at are missing because we could not check them with their maker, including the UNO calendar and the Match Attax countdown calendar. We do not show prices on this page, so check the retailer's page for the current price and delivery cost before you buy.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

The facts behind each of the eight, in order of age marking: what is inside, the maker's age marking and any warning it carries.

Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Advent calendar / die-cast cars

Hot Wheels 2026 Advent Calender

In the box: 24 doors holding 34 pieces: 10 Hot Wheels 1:64 scale vehicles, one of them an exclusive snow-globe car with a Yeti driver, 14 accessories such as a reindeer or a gingerbread house, and 10 clips to hang the cars on a tree

Mattel warns that it is not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts. Facts are from Mattel's German product page; Mattel's UK site does not list it.

Age guidance
3+
Brand
Hot Wheels
Model / item
JLG41
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Advent calendar / collectible figures

Original Squishmallows Squish-a-longs Advent Calendar

In the box: 24 Squish-a-longs Mini-Squish, squeezable plastic figures about 1 inch tall in holiday Squishmallows styles such as Jingle the White Christmas Tree and Channing the Blue Gnome, with a ring accessory to clip them to and a numbered collector's guide

Age guidance
3+
Brand
Squishmallows
Model / item
SQAL0275
Facts checked
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©2026 The LEGO Group

Advent calendar / LEGO City

LEGO City Advent Calendar 2026 (60510)

In the box: 252 pieces: Santa, Mrs. Claus, 3 elves, a snowman and a baby reindeer figure, with Santa's sleigh, a train and a hot chocolate cart among the builds, and a box that folds out into a workshop playmat

LEGO's page warns of small parts.

Age guidance
5+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
60510
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Advent calendar / LEGO Disney

LEGO Disney Princess Advent Calendar 2026 Construction Set 43298

In the box: 290 pieces: Ariel, Cinderella, Moana and Mulan microdolls, Gus, Mushu, Pua and Sebastian figures, and mini builds including a piano, a gingerbread castle, a fireplace, a micro Christmas tree and a toy train; the box becomes a game board with a buildable spinner for up to 8 players

Age guidance
5+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
43298
Facts checked
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Image: The Pokémon Company International

Trading card game

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Binder Collection

In the box: 1 nine-pocket binder and 5 booster packs

Age guidance
6+
Brand
Pokémon
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image: The Pokémon Company International

Trading card game

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

In the box: 9 booster packs, 1 full-art promo card, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 card sleeves, 6 damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a player's guide, a collector's box with 6 dividers and a Pokémon TCG Live code card

Age guidance
6+
Brand
Pokémon
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Advent calendar / LEGO Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026 Construction Set 75456

In the box: 293 pieces themed on The Mandalorian: The Mandalorian, Moff Gideon, Carson Teva and Jawa minifigures, Grogu and Pit Droid figures, 7 mini vehicles including the Razor Crest, an N-1 Starfighter and an X-wing in festive colours, and Mudhorn, Bantha, Dewback and Blurrg figures

Age guidance
6+
Brand
Star Wars
Model / item
75456
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Advent calendar / LEGO Marvel

LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar 2026 Construction Set 76340

In the box: 317 pieces: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Dr. Doom, Ghost-Spider, Captain America and Wolverine minifigures with festive accessories, and small builds including a Helicarrier, an X-Jet sleigh, a snowball cannon, a Dr. Doom helicopter and a Christmas tree made from green Wolverine claws

Age guidance
6+
Brand
Marvel
Model / item
76340
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What is a good advent calendar for a 3-year-old?
Pick one marked 3+ that needs no building. Here that is the Hot Wheels calendar, with ten cars and festive accessories, and the Squishmallows calendar of 24 small squeezable figures. Both are full of small pieces, so keep them away from younger children.
Which LEGO advent calendar should I choose?
Choose by theme first, then check the age. The Disney Princess calendar is marked 5+, with microdolls and a board game, and the City calendar is also 5+, with Santa's workshop as a playmat. The Star Wars calendar follows The Mandalorian and the Marvel calendar has six Super Hero minifigures; both are marked 6+.
When do advent calendars start?
On 1 December, with one door a day until Christmas Eve. That is why a calendar is usually the first Christmas gift worth buying, ahead of the main presents.
Do you show prices for these advent calendars?
No. Each card links to the retailer, whose page shows the current price and delivery cost. A calendar has to arrive before 1 December, so check the delivery estimate for the exact item as well.
What is a good advent calendar for a 10-year-old?
At ten, the LEGO Star Wars and Marvel calendars still hold up, because the builds have enough detail to take a few minutes each morning rather than a few seconds. If the child has moved on to trading cards, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box gives nine booster packs to hand out across the month, and the Binder Collection pairs five packs with a binder for the cards worth keeping.
Is there a Pokémon advent calendar for 2026?
We have not checked one with Pokémon for this list. The two 30th Celebration sets here are ordinary card products rather than calendars, though their booster packs split neatly across the days of December if you own a refillable calendar. The next expansion, Delta Reign, is out on 6 November 2026, so cards will be fresh in a collector's mind before the countdown starts.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: